Anyone looking for a shipping company from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia who fishes or lives for the sea usually wants to know one thing first: will the outboard engine, rods and nets reach Monastir in one piece? Al Basmah International Shipping ships this kit from Ras Al Khaimah by sea in wooden crates inside a full or shared container to the port of Sousse or Rades, then by truck to your home near Monastir’s marina, or by air to Monastir Airport for small urgent parts. There is no road shipping to Tunisia. Sea transit is roughly four to six weeks port to port, and the engine must be drained of fuel before packing.
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This guide is for those who spent years between Al Rams creek and Al Jazirah Al Hamra and want to take their kit to the Tunisian coast, with the household belongings and maybe the 4×4 that used to tow the boat. It covers how to prepare an outboard engine, which marine items cannot be shipped, how the car goes by RoRo, and how the shipment reaches Monastir.
Sea kit, safely
- Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia is sea or air only; sea for engines, kit, furniture and cars.
- The outboard engine is drained of fuel, rinsed and fixed upright on a wooden stand inside a crate.
- Rods go in rigid tubes, nets are washed and dried in crates, and flares cannot be shipped.
- 4x4s go by RoRo after an eligibility check, and duties on larger engines are usually higher.
- Approximate time: 4–6 weeks to Sousse or Rades, then clearance and delivery to Monastir.
- Send the details on WhatsApp and you will get the price.
What we ship from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia
From Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia we ship fishing and marine gear, household belongings and cars. These are the items sea people ask about most:
- Outboard boat engines: of various power ratings, drained of fuel with the propeller removed.
- Fishing kit: rods, reels, bait and hook boxes, lead weights, cool boxes.
- Nets and traps: small drag nets, cast nets and fish traps, washed and dry.
- Boat equipment: anchors, ropes, fenders, life jackets without gas cartridges, boat covers, seats.
- Diving gear: wetsuits, fins and masks, with cylinders empty and valves open.
- Household goods: furniture, appliances and cartons for those moving for good.
- 4×4 vehicles: by RoRo after the conditions are checked.
Most people send their sea kit together with their household goods in one container. That makes sense, because the heavy wooden crates sit on the container floor with cartons on top, but we keep equipment and household items in separate sections of the contents list, since customs looks at them differently.
Preparing an outboard engine for shipping
An engine with fuel in it is treated as dangerous goods and is not accepted with general cargo, so these steps are a requirement, not an option:
- Drain the fuel: disconnect the fuel line and run the engine until it stops by itself to empty the carburettor, then empty the separate or built-in tank completely and leave it open to dry.
- Oil: on four-stroke engines the oil is drained or the cap firmly sealed, depending on what the shipping line requires; the team will tell you.
- Battery: removed and shipped separately if accepted, or left in the UAE.
- Propeller: removed, wrapped and bagged, tied to the engine.
- Rinse: flush the engine with fresh water to remove sea salt and dry it, because salt eats into metal during weeks at sea.
- Stand and crate: the engine is fixed upright on a stand of heat-treated wood (ISPM-15 mark) inside a closed crate, with padding under the lower unit.
Write the engine’s serial number and power on the list and photograph its plate before closing the crate. Boat engines are valuable goods, and customs matches the number to the invoice or proof of ownership.
Packing fishing gear and nets
- Rods: broken down into sections and placed in rigid PVC tubes capped at both ends, or a long padded box.
- Reels: line tension released, packed in their boxes or bubble-wrapped.
- Nets: washed free of sand, weed and fish remains and dried completely before packing, so they do not smell, rot or carry marine life.
- Hooks and knives: in closed boxes inside the crate, not loose in bag pockets.
- Lead weights: heavy despite their size, so spread them across small boxes rather than one carton.
- Cool boxes: cleaned and dried, and they can be filled with light items to save space.
How we load sea kit and household furniture in one container
When heavy engine crates share a container with sofas and cartons, the loading order is what protects both. The rule we follow is simple: heaviest at the bottom and at the front, lightest and most fragile at the top and back, and nothing able to move.
- Engine crates first: placed on the container floor against the front wall and strapped to the lashing rings, because a sliding crate of over a hundred kilograms breaks whatever is around it.
- Anchors, chains and weights: in small crates beside the engines at the same level, never on top of furniture.
- Rod tubes: along one side for the length of the container, tied together so they do not bend under the cartons.
- Dismantled furniture: next, with cardboard sheets between pieces, and sofas wrapped in blankets and plastic.
- Cartons and cool boxes: on top, with light dry nets used to fill the last gaps.
If you only have a little equipment, a shared container with your crates strapped to a single pallet may be enough. Shipping a complete small boat on its trailer is a separate case that depends on its size and type, because boats usually do not fit a standard container. Send the dimensions to the team and they will tell you what is possible.
Collection areas in Ras Al Khaimah
We collect across Ras Al Khaimah once we have reviewed the photos and list and confirmed the items are allowed into Tunisia. The shipment is then trucked to the departure port.
On the coast
Al Rams, Al Jazirah Al Hamra, Al Hamra and its marina, Mina Al Arab, Al Marjan Island and Shaam, where most fishermen and boat owners live.
In the city
Al Nakheel, Al Dhait, Julphar, Khuzam, Al Mairid, Al Qusaidat and Al Uraibi, for houses and apartments.
Industrial areas
The Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone and the industrial areas in Al Ghail and Al Hamra, for equipment and goods.
Boat workshops
Service workshops and tackle shops, with collection straight from the workshop once the engine is prepared.
If the engine is still on the boat, have a workshop take it off before the collection date, and we pick it up drained and ready for its crate.
The sea route from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia
There is no road route to Tunisia. Your shipment is trucked from Ras Al Khaimah to the departure port, Sharjah, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali or Fujairah depending on the sailing, and the container then crosses the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, usually with a transhipment. The closest port to Monastir is Sousse, about twenty kilometres away; if there is no service there, the container lands at Rades and is trucked south.
Transit time by shipping method
| Method | Approximate time | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full container (FCL) | 4–6 weeks port to port + clearance | A whole household with engine crates and kit | Sealed for you, with heavy crates fixed on the floor |
| Shared container (LCL) | About 5–7 weeks including consolidation and unpacking | An engine crate, fishing kit and a few cartons | Charged per cubic metre; crates strapped to pallets |
| RoRo for the car | Depends on RoRo sailings, similar number of weeks | 4x4s and sedans | The car is driven aboard and must be empty of belongings |
| Air freight | About 3–5 days door to door | Reels, engine spare parts, documents | No engines, fuel or flares accepted |
Air freight from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia
Air freight from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia suits small, valuable items: a new reel, a seal kit and engine spares, a small device, or the ownership papers you need for clearance. It flies from Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah or Dubai airport to Monastir Habib Bourguiba Airport directly when a flight is available, or to Tunis–Carthage or Enfidha. It usually takes three to five days door to door including clearance.
Chargeable weight is the higher of the actual and the volumetric weight, which is length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 6000. A rod tube 180 cm long and 15 cm across is charged as a 180×15×15 box, about 7 kg volumetric. Engines, fuel, oils and flares do not fly.
Required documents
Personal effects and hobby equipment
A Tunisian living abroad who returns for good can usually bring in used household goods duty-free once under the definitive-return procedure, with consulate papers, a detailed contents list, and within a set period from the return. Boat engines and fishing equipment may be treated differently from furniture, especially if new or in quantities that suggest trade, and foreign residents have their own rules. The team reviews the list before loading.
Commercial equipment
If you import fishing equipment or engines for sale or for a commercial fishing business, you need a registered importer, a commercial invoice, a packing list and a certificate of origin, and you pay duty and VAT (standard rate 19%).
4×4 vehicles
A 4×4 goes by RoRo: it is driven up the ramp into the vessel and lashed, so it is not covered and carries no belongings. Tunisians living abroad have the FCR scheme, which reduces duties under conditions that usually include at least two years of residence abroad, a car no older than about five years from first registration, and use once every ten years. The share of duties paid is usually higher for petrol engines above 2000 cc and diesel engines above 2500 cc, which matters for 4×4 owners in particular. The conditions can change, so we check your car’s eligibility before booking. A boat trailer cannot be hitched to the car on a RoRo vessel without prior arrangement.
Prohibited and restricted marine items
- Distress and smoke flares: explosives that cannot be shipped; leave them in the UAE.
- Fuel, oils and petrol cans: not shipped, and the engine is drained completely.
- Self-inflating life jackets: the compressed-gas cartridges are removed.
- Diving cylinders: empty with valves open, or they are not accepted.
- Marine VHF radios, navigation units, sonar and drones: may need prior authorisation in Tunisia.
- Spearguns: ask the team before packing them, as they have specific rules.
- Narcotics, weapons, ammunition and counterfeit goods are prohibited in all cases.
Note: An engine with fuel left in it can hold up the whole container at the port. Drain it, run it until it stops, and let it dry for a day before it goes in the crate.
Shipping prices from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia
The price from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia is based on what you actually ship: the number and size of crates, the weight of the engines, whether household furniture goes too, and whether there is a car. Send the details on WhatsApp and you will get the price; include photos of the engine, its power, the crate sizes and the delivery city.
What decides the price?
| Factor | How it affects the price |
|---|---|
| Sea FCL, sea LCL or air | FCL is for the whole container, LCL per cubic metre, air per actual or volumetric kilogram |
| Container size | 20ft for fishing kit and an apartment, 40ft for a full house with engine crates |
| Volume and weight | Engine crates are heavy and need a forklift; rod tubes are long |
| Arrival port and city | Sousse is closest to Monastir; Rades adds a longer road leg |
| Packing | Heat-treated wooden crates, stands and rod tubes |
| Documents | Contents list, engine ownership proof, definitive-return papers and clearance |
| Car | Size of the 4×4, RoRo or container, and the import scheme |
How to ship from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia, step by step
- Send photos of the kit and engine, with its power and serial number, on WhatsApp along with the delivery city.
- Eligibility check: what is accepted, what stays behind, and whether the car qualifies for import.
- You get the price and the suggested shipping method.
- Engine preparation: fuel drained, fresh-water rinse and propeller removed.
- Collection and packing: wooden crates, rod tubes and every piece numbered.
- Trucking to the port and loading, with the bill of lading sent to you.
- WhatsApp updates from the team at sailing and arrival.
- Clearance and delivery to your home in Monastir or any governorate.
Tips for sea people
- Do not ship an engine or boat without proof of ownership or a purchase invoice.
- Rinse everything in fresh water; salt and humidity in a sealed container speed up rust.
- Put desiccant bags in the engine and reel crates.
- Separate new boxed equipment from used equipment on the list.
- If you plan to buy a boat in Tunisia and fit your engine to it, ask about Tunisian boat licensing and registration before you ship.
Delivery in Tunisia: Monastir and the other governorates
After clearance the shipment is trucked to the address. In Monastir we deliver near the marina and the city, and to Skanes, Khniss, Ksar Hellal, Sahline, Ksibet el Mediouni and Jemmal. The streets around the marina and the old medina are narrow, so if a truck cannot get in, the crates go the last stretch in a small vehicle, and a heavy engine needs at least two people or a small hoist.
After delivery, do not start the engine straight away. Open the crate and check the lower unit and propeller, refill the oil if it was drained, fit a charged battery and fresh fuel, then run it for the first time in a barrel of fresh water or on the boat with a mechanic present. These simple steps reveal any effect of the journey before you head out to sea. If you live on the coast between Monastir and Mahdia, you can ask for delivery straight to a boat service workshop.
| Governorate / area | Usual arrival port | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tunis, Ariana and Ben Arous | Rades | The main port, with short delivery |
| Sousse and Monastir | Sousse | Closest to Monastir; otherwise trucked from Rades |
| Sfax | Sfax | For Mahdia and Sfax depending on the line |
| Nabeul and Hammamet | Rades | Short road leg |
| Bizerte | Bizerte or Rades | Depends on the sailing |
| Djerba and Gabes | Sfax or Gabes | For the south and Djerba’s harbours |
If you are returning for good, get your definitive-return papers from the consulate before the container reaches Sousse or Rades, because waiting at the port means storage charges. For broader information see the UAE to Tunisia shipping guide; on the east coast there is shipping from Fujairah to Tunisia, and next door Umm Al Quwain to Tunisia. If you also ship to Morocco: shipping from Ras Al Khaimah to Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ship a boat engine from Ras Al Khaimah to Tunisia?
Yes, by sea only, once it is fully drained of fuel, rinsed and fixed in a wooden crate. Engines are not shipped by air.
How long does a shipment to Monastir take?
About four to six weeks port to port in a full container, a little longer in a shared one, then clearance and trucking from Sousse or Rades. Times are approximate.
Can I ship fishing nets?
Yes, as long as they are washed free of sand and fish remains, completely dry, packed in crates and listed.
Can flares and life jackets be shipped?
Flares cannot be shipped because they are explosives. Ordinary life jackets can go; self-inflating ones only once the gas cartridges are removed.
Does my 4×4 go in the container?
It usually goes by RoRo on a dedicated vessel, driven aboard and lashed, or inside a container if you prefer. We check the car’s eligibility before booking.
Which port is closest to Monastir?
Sousse, about twenty kilometres away. If no line serves it, the shipment lands at Rades and is trucked down.
Can the engines and kit be insured?
Ask the team about optional insurance when you request the price, and send the value of the engines and equipment.
How do I know what stage my shipment is at?
The team sends you a WhatsApp update at collection, loading, sailing, arrival and delivery.
Is your kit ready to cross to Tunisia?
Send photos of the engine, rods and nets with the delivery city, and we will reply with how to prepare them and the price.
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